


and you'll be my haven away from home

by SaraJaye



Category: South Park
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Introspection, Memories, Meta Humor, Pre-Slash, Reminiscing, Season 22 compliant, Treehouses, leaning on the 4th wall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-30 03:09:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17215877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: During the winter of 5th grade, Stan and Kyle build another treehouse.





	and you'll be my haven away from home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [spiralicious](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiralicious/gifts).



They build a new treehouse the winter of fifth grade, to replace the old one that fell apart years ago. Not long after that game of Truth or Dare, in fact. Stan suspects it was a combination of Roy the dick hanging from that tree for days, plus Mom and Dad doing it in there all night. That didn't break it right away, of course, but wood's fragile.

This time they're allowed to actually use nails, and Kyle's dad gives them some steel for the floor. It's cold and uncomfy as hell until Kyle throws an old rug on top of it, and they have to use plastic for the windows after a bunch of birds fly in and shit on the pillows. The blankets Stan brings smell like hemp, but if Kyle notices he doesn't say a word.

They can fit a cooler there, too, for drinks and sandwiches and stuff, and Kyle rigs up a basket pulley system so Sparky can come up once in a while. Sparky's got lots of room to run around at Tegridy Farms, but he clearly likes South Park better, so much that he's a good boy all through the bus trips to and from there. He's smart enough to know if he misbehaves, he'll get kicked off the bus.

The time between bus rides is getting longer and longer, though. Stan spends as many as three nights in as row at Kyle's, even school nights. They catch the bus together, just like they used to before the Marshes moved.

Tonight, Kyle had the wild idea to sleep in the treehouse.

"We'll see how long we can hold out before we go begging Mom to let us in," he says, and Stan's on board. They don't have much time for wacky kid stunts these days, with all the shootings and the ghosts and the ManBearPig business that he's still not sure he handled right. Getting a little cold from spending the night in a treehouse is nothing compared to a demon.

They still have their Terrance and Phillip sleeping bags, too.

"Remember when we first got the idea to build a treehouse?" Kyle asks. Stan nods, he remembers those days well. Back when his parents divorcing was the worst thing that could happen, when these days it's clear they'd _both_ be better off for it.

"Remember when we found that frozen guy? I can't believe we fought over him," he laughs. "Or the time we tried to get Tweek and Craig to fight."

"And now they're _dating._ " Kyle snorts. "I wonder if they even remember that fight."

"Feels like it happened like, twenty years ago, doesn't it?" Really, they've seen and done so much shit in the last two years it feels like they should be _in_ their twenties by now. "I miss those days, though."

"Yeah, me too. Back when the most important thing was getting Ike back from the aliens, or getting rid of all the rabid turkeys, or..." Kyle pauses, sighing sadly. "Other crazy adventures. South Park's never been a safe place, but back then...I dunno, maybe we were just young and didn't realize what was actually going on."

"They say you understand more once you turn ten, and that's why things seem shitty." He glances around the treehouse, out the plastic-covered windows, at the familiar Broslofski backyard, and smiles. "Nothing seems shitty now, though."

Kyle smiles, pulling his sleeping bag closer.

"Maybe if we can get plumbing and heating in here, we can just live here and stay away from shitty things." It's unrealistic as hell, but right now, it's probably the best idea Kyle's ever had. Within these four walls, up in this tree, in Kyle's yard, even one of Mr. Hankey's tantrums couldn't shit things up.

"Sounds like a plan."

They reminisce for hours, before they fall asleep, hand in hand, and Stan wishes time could just freeze right here.


End file.
